hiro

On 12/25/2018 at 12:35 PM, max power said:

I would send it in just to see how they handle it.  Sent an old jammin ass hi point back to the factory and had a basically brand new gun back in 2 weeks.  They replaced the entire slide.  It never jammed again while I owned it.  

I think I messed with it too much to send it in for the original reasons, and I'm getting better at using a hammer and punch (brass bolt) to move the sights. The front sight on the Ruger moved very easy. Not sure about the Shield yet. The rear sights on both put up a fight! 

My crude work bench. haha

Saw a deal for the original Shield with 4 mags and night sights for $300. 

Anyone know how to program one of these target hanger controller things? One or twice I accidentally got it to move towards me, so I just shot it twice. haha I'd like to do more of that.
 

Wife shot this at 7.5 yards. I guess it's pretty good now. I'd like to shoot it from a rest still.
 

Moved the rear sight using a 5/16" x 3" brass bolt and tweaked it with a sight pusher. Photos don't show it as well, but I can see it. Went maybe a hair too far, but now I know the sight pusher can move it a little.

The spring I was about to cut, but I tried a temporary test by wrapping the last coil around itself. Now the 7-round mag seats just about the same as the 8-round mag as it should. 

Now they're saying I could ship the mag, too. heh I wonder if they were even reading the messages before. Not going to bother. 

8 hours ago, JapanRider92 said:

I just watched a video on YouTube because I was curious about the front sight adjustment. It seems you can pretty much just bang it a little to one side or the other. I'd give that a go if you got time and want to DIY.

Here's the vid I watched https://youtu.be/hGqpZZO2NqI . It's from 1:30 to 2:00 where he does it.

If you're going to contact S&W, I'd be curious to know if this type of defect would be covered under warranty.

 

Yeah, I'll probably use a brass bolt or punch to kick the rear sight into alignment. It's only a tiny fraction of an inch off. S&W sent me a shipping label, but stated to only include the firearm. Also, that they will be shut down for 2 weeks during December. Normally turn-around might be 7-10 days. Not worth it considering one of the problems is just the 7-round magazine. They won't confirm if either is a warranty issue or not until they look at it. 

I'm able to move the rear sight on my Ruger using a sight pusher, but after using a sight pusher I think a hammer and punch is probably the more versatile and cost-effective solution. I just hesitated to do that the first time working on sights. Plus, or more accurately, minus, I don't have a bunch vise anymore, so that was an obstacle. I am planning to replace the front sight on the Ruger with a fiber optic one, so I'll need tools anyway. I'm thinking about getting a cheap drill press vise like this:

 

A friend of mine mentioned the tendency to ride the slide release, which might explain the slide not locking back. Did you only have one mag to work with? Maybe it was the mag? 

9 hours ago, JapanRider92 said:

That kinda sucks that the sights aren't adjustable, but I would guess that would be covered under warranty. Maybe contact them about only the sight issue? It sounds like they focused only on the first issue you mentioned, which is the magazine.

When I read this, I went and checked my shield (I bought it on sale right before the 2.0 came out). Mine has some kind of tiny hex screw in the center of the rear sight so I think mine is adjustable. Does yours not have that?

My sight does have the hex screw. Technically, the sight can be moved a little. There is a spring on the right side for the striker blocker which is probably why S&W doesn't want the sight moved much. The manual recommends moving the front sight if needed. The thing is, if the rear sight were centered properly, the front sight probably wouldn't need to be moved at all.

My sight pusher won't work well with this type of sight. I did pick up a brass bolt to try to use as a punch to kick the sight a little, but I thought I should check with S&W first. (Not my sight in the photo.) Some people report that that sight is extremely hard to move so I haven't been in a hurry to try. Plus, I don't have a vise right now. I'd have to clamp the slide to the steps in my garage. heh

Question: Should I bother to give up my gun for however long and mail it to S&W, or should I just try to fix the problems myself? 

I contacted S&W about the 7-round mag for my Shield not clicking in when fully loaded without the slide being locked back first. I also mentioned that the rear sight is not centered and that the manual states that the rear sight is not adjustable. It's also hitting left, which matches the rear sight alignment. They responded by offering a pre-paid label for me to ship the gun and the mag for inspection, but didn't say anything in regard to the issues. They also pointed out that if the problems don't qualify as warranty issues, they would bill me. Not sure if it's worth the trouble.

I'm pretty sure the spring in the magazine is too long for the 7-round mag. It's the same length and physical weight as the ones in the 8-round mags. The 8-round mags click in without a struggle. I mean, I could just cut a coil off the spring.

For me, three or four mags for each seems like a good start. Enough for the range, to carry, to have at home, or to use in training or competition like IDPA. I don't do all that yet. heh

On 9/29/2018 at 9:31 PM, motocat12 said:

Rented this sub compact  today and didn't love it.  To boot, 1st mag didn't lock the slide back. twice stuck out of battery. (out of ~25 rounds) new rental, like 2 weeks old.

Being a small pew, did you make sure your thumb wasn't rubbing against the slide? Might cause cycling problems. Being new probably isn't working in its favour either.

On 11/23/2018 at 10:19 AM, ReconRat said:

Have not used much Blazer of any type. I would think it's fine for target shooting. As with any ammo in a semi-auto, it needs to feed and function reasonably well. Older weapons do not like some of the newer design shapes and can fail. If anything, I've had more trouble with Remington, but only in certain semi-autos. I prefer brass casings, to be used for reloading.

Hornady FTX Critical Defense (and other FTX designs) and Sig Sauer V-Crown are both highly rated defensive ammo. Both meet FBI criteria. There's some talk of FBI and government switching to one or the other brand. Basically, the newer design hollow points just work that much better than the older designs. Previous designs were known to fail in the presence of heavy winter clothing.

I heard of feed problems with flat nosed target ammo.

As far as shorter barrel pistols like a small .380, I've been hearing that XTP rounds are better. For our still kinda short 9mm 3.1" and 3.4" barrel pistols, we have a box of FTX. I choose Critical Defense because of the description that it penetrates a little less and is more likely to expand than open hollow points. I'd prefer lower barrier penetration and human pass-through.

Is Blazer Brass Black good? There is a $20 rebate on it right now, up to $100, and Academy has it on sale. It's $85 for 500 rounds of 9mm before rebate and tax. Free shipping. For me with 7% tax that works out to 14.19 cents per round if my maths is correct. Other calibers are $80 for 300-350 rounds. Also noticed Hornady Critical Defense 9mm for $17.

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/blazer-brass-black-pack-9mm-luger-115-grain-centerfire-pistol-ammunition

https://www.academy.com/content/dam/academysports/rebates/OT1103_BlackPackBucks_Promo_Coupon_Print_f.pdf

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/hornady-critical-defense®-9-mm-luger-115-grain-handgun-ammunition

Minimalist pocket carry?

My photos come out too huge! The Shield M2.0 was /excellent/ to shoot! Hitting to the left though, probably due to that rear sight. Elevation was good at the only distances that I was shooting at, which was 7-10 yards, I think. For some reason the Shield was stinging my wife's trigger finger and pinky a little. She said she thought it was better if she held the trigger back after the shot. She was killing* it with the SR9c though. I mean, I was impressed. I'd happily shoot the Shield the whole time anyway, although it seemed to have a longer trigger reset compared to the Ruger. Not a problem.

*No actual harm or death occurred.

On 11/13/2018 at 11:48 AM, Ron505 said:

That looks to be a pretty good deal.  Where did you find it?

gunprime.com Shipped quick and provided excellent tracking. No extra fees.

Picked up the Shield M2.0. Planning to shoot it tomorrow or the day after. I added the Hogue grip immediately. It adds a little palm swell and feels much better in the hand. The 3rd mag is a factory original for the older Shield. I needed to sand the spacer a little to get it to seat as easily as the M2.0 mags. The light is nice, but the knife doesn't seem useful as a defensive tool at all. Doesn't matter. I can see that the rear site isn't centered and the manual states that it isn't adjustable? 

On 11/6/2018 at 8:32 AM, Tpoppa said:

So it turns out there may be a medical explanation for this.  I just had blood work done after I couldn't shake a cold and it turns out I have a pretty serious Vitamin D deficiency, that's been slowly getting worse for years.

It comes with a bunch of seemingly unrelated symptoms like:  headache, extreme fatigue, temperature sensitivity, chronic pain, difficulty sleeping, getting sick often, etc...all things that make it hard to enjoy things as much as I used to.  It's been pretty awful, but it makes sense.

Good news is that once diagnosed, it's pretty easy to treat.  I should bounce back after a few months of supplements.  We'll see.      

Very cool. There are at least two different ways to measure vitamin D levels, so I'm curious about that. And what caused the deficiency? Is it just lack of sun exposure, really dark skin, or lack of dietary intake? Extremely low-fat diet? Or maybe your body doesn't absorb vitamin D well? 

Magnesium is another nutrient that tends to be deficient, but not as easy to supplement without digestive issues.

Snap caps mixed with live rounds through the SR9c. The Shield comes later this week.

Ordered this kit for $349 total. The FFL will charge $20 or $10 plus 5 non-perishable food items for donation. I'm expecting the 3rd mag to be after-market, but the price was the same with or without it. (If the mag is cr*ppy, I could do reload drills with it. Just drop it on the ground. heh) The Shield M2.0 alone was going for $339, with or without the laser. The Hogue beaver tail grip that I already have, which was meant for the LC9s, fits the Shield, so that's an option. Since I got that for free, consider it part of the Shield kit and it's a merry Christmas. 

Rented this HK VP9SK for free...with purchase of a $14 box of ammo. I liked it. Sights were more visible than on our SR9c. (I need glasses for sight distance.) But my wife actually prefers the feel of our gun. Surprising considering the HK retails for 26% more. Nice that the HK has an ambidextrous slide release and mag release paddles. Comfortable grip.

I'm thinking the final decision will end up being the Shield M2.0, maybe with integrated laser since it's the same price anyway. $339 right now.

6 minutes ago, Steve Butters said:

funny thing is....our cheapest firearms are the LCP II's and we both have them on us almost 24/7 ... i carry the HK so infrequently that ive got an 18rd mag in it and its stuck to a magnet under my coffee table lol... then again, its been 90 degrees here and ive been dressing light...probably get the HK back out once im wearing pants with belt loops... i think we got the LCP II's for $280 plus tax. The hogue grip makes all the difference in the world.

As for shield vs XD-S.... I'm sure you can't go wrong with either. The XD-S looks way more badass, so it has my vote lol

If the magnet can no longer hold the HK, you know you've gone too far with either mag capacity or accessories. heh

I like the grip safety on the XD-S. The grip feels longer front to back which is immediately noticeable, but it might be a good thing. Dry firing, the trigger gave a good amount of resistance, which isn't bad for self-defense. One the trigger broke, it felt and sounded kinda strange, like it had a shock absorber! Probably wouldn't notice the feel with a round firing. 

My wife pointed out that she can rack them all. I told her to pull the slide like she's trying to rip it off. haha 

4 hours ago, Steve Butters said:

The bde? It's heavy and huge and never leaves the nightstand unless we're at the range... It's my wife's gun, I think she just liked that it has desert eagle in the name lol 

You guys have good taste. I'm just cheap. haha